Inspection means for concrete-handling system

ABSTRACT

An improved concrete-handling system comprising a concrete pump, delivery conduit means to carry the concrete from the pump to a remote worksite, and inspection means interposed between the concrete pump and the conduit is disclosed. The inspection means includes a pipe section with a portion cut away to provide easy access to the same and with cover means to close the opening during normal use. Clamps are provided to hold the cover means in position. The inspection means is especially useful to determine the location of a possible stoppage in the system as well as to sample the concrete flowing therethrough.

United States Patent [72] Inventor RobertC.Futty Willow Street, Pa.

211 App]. No. 784,376

[22] Filed Dec. 17,1968

Nov. 30, 197 l lrl Daflln Associates, Incorporated Lancaster, Pa.

[45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] INSPECTION MEANS FOR CONCRETE- [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 349,680 9/1886 Babcock Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. l-landren Attorney-Holman & Stern ABSTRACT: An improved concrete-handling system comprising a concrete pump, delivery conduit means to carry the concrete from the pump to a remote worksite, and inspection means interposed between the concrete pump and the conduit is disclosed. The inspection means includes a pipe section with a portion cut away to provide easy access to the same and with cover means to close the opening during normal use. Clamps are provided to hold the cover means in position The inspection means is especially useful to determine the location of a possible stoppage in the system as well as to sample the concrete flowing therethrough.

INVENTOR PATENTEDNUV 30 I97! 3.624.794

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\Q is ROBERT C. FUTTY ATTORNEYS INSPECTION MEANS FOR CONCRETE-HANDLING SYSTEM .This invention relates to systems for conveying materials. More particularly, this invention relates to systems for conveying semifiuid materials such as concrete or the like. More specifically, this invention relates to an improvement in a system which includes a force-feed or pump for semifluid material which handles concrete from a delivery source such as a self-contained premix truck, and delivers the same to a remote point of utilization, such as a building construction form, through conduit means, the improvement comprising inspection means interposed between the force-feed or pump and the conduit means.

The construction industry has derived great benefit in recent years from the many innovations in building materials and methods for utilizing the same. Among the building materials which are relatively old, but which are being used in relatively new ways, is concrete. Concrete is being used for more than just building foundations or as mortar, it is being used, in either precast or ready-mix form, in structural members at heights many feet above the ground. The concrete is delivered to building sites by the familiar, conventional readymix truck having a rotatable mixing drum mounted upon its bed with an opening therein for receiving the concrete ingredients. After charging the ingredients into the drum, the same is rotated about its axis to mix the concrete while the truck is en route to the construction site. When the truck arrives at its destination, an outlet opening in the drum is uncovered and the mixed concrete is discharged therefrom. For use in foundations, the concrete is delivered gravitationally from the drum.

Still another type of concrete mixing and delivery system is that described and claimed in Harold M. Zimmerman's US. Pat. No. 3,310,293, dated Mar. 21, 1967. in this patent a system is taught which permits selective variation of the ingredients of the concrete mixture, as well as the formulation and delivery of relatively small batches of concrete, thereby obviating a severe drawback of the drum-type ready-mix concrete trucks. In this system the concrete ingredients are carried separately until the truck is on the site whereat the concrete is to be used. The proper proportions of the ingredients are metered and positively delivered into a mixing trough which contains means for uniformly mixing the ingredients to a proper concrete. The concrete is discharged from the trough to whatever means will be used for carrying the same to the specific location where it is to be used.

Whether concrete is to be obtained from a conventional drum type ready-mix truck or from that described in the aforementioned Zimmerman U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,293, there is always the question of how the concrete will be conveyed to the specific location at which it will be used. If the concrete is to be utilized at a point below ground level, it can be easily directed thereto by gravity feed through one or more chutes. For use at ground level, if at a location somewhat remote from that at which the truck is discharging the concrete, other means must be provided to move the concrete. Even more important in light of the use of concrete at great heights in modern construction, is the necessity to transfer the concrete from the truck at ground level to the area at which it will be used. This is usually done, in a batchwise manner, by filling a receptacle with the concrete and then transporting it by means of a crane or an elevator to its ultimate destination. Other means of transferring the concrete from one location to another have been devised which have eliminated most of the problems of the prior art. These means are the so-called concrete pumps which receive the concrete from the readymix truck or from the system described in the aforementioned Zimmerman U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,293, and propel it from a discharge end thereof, through conduit means, to the remote location where it is to be used. Such a concrete conveying system is exemplified in US. Pat. application Ser. No. 708,680, filed by Harold M. Zimmennan on Feb. 27, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,485,481, granted Dec. 23, 1969, and entitled CONCRETE CONVEYOR.

Very broadly, concrete pumps can be said to comprise hopper means to receive the concrete from a source of the same, means to feed the concrete from the hopper means to pump means, power means to drive the pump means, and outlet means from the pump means. Typically, the pump means includes a chamber and a piston along with some type of valve means operatively associated therewith. In one cycle, the outlet is closed by valve means while concrete enters from the inlet. The piston then moves forwardly, the inlet then being blocked by valve means and the outlet being opened, and propels the concrete through the outlet. Conduit means are connnected to the outlet of the pump and carry the concrete to the remote work site whether it be at ground level, lower than ground level, or higher than ground level. When the concrete is propelled outwardly from the pump it moves into the conduit. After a number of cycles, the conduit becomes filled and each successive cycle of the pump drives the concrete through the conduit to its outlet end where it is directed into a mold.

It has been found with various types of concrete delivery systems which utilize a concrete pump and conduit means that periodically the delivery of concrete at the outlet end of the conduit slows down or stops. It must then be determined whether such stoppage is due to a malfunction in the pump or fouling of the conduit in one way or another. Heretofore, there has been no convenient way of determining where the stoppage has occurred without dismantling the complete system. An inspection of the system, therefore, necessitated a time-consuming series of steps before the source of trouble could be pinpointed. Further, since the inspection of the system was time consuming, the situation became further aggravated by a partial setting or hardening of the concrete. An additional difficulty arose when it became necessary to sample the concrete in order to determine that the proper mixture was being delivered. The only way the concrete could be sampled was by going to the remote worksite and obtaining a sample therefrom.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a concrete-handling system of the type which includes a concrete pump and conduit means which is free of the foregoing and other such disadvantages.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a concrete-handling system of the type including a concrete pump and a conduit, which further includes means for easily and conveniently gaining access to the system to determine the location of any possible stoppage in the same.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a concrete-handling system of the type which includes a concrete pump and a conduit, by including easily operated, convenient inspection means between the outlet end of the concrete pump and the conduit which carries the concrete to a remote worksite.

More specifically, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide inspection means for a concrete-handling system which means permits quick, easy access to the system to determine wherein a stoppage may exist or to sample the concrete.

Consistent with the foregoing objects, it is another object of the present invention to provide inspection means for a concrete-handling system which means comprises a removable tubular section disposed between the outlet end of the concrete pump and an elongated conduit for carrying the concrete to a remote worksite, such tubular section having a segmental section of the wall removed to provide an inspection opening and cover means for the opening to seal the same in ordinary use but which can be easily and quickly opened to expose the opening.

The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent, after reading the following detailed description thereof. Such description refers to the annexed drawings presenting preferred and illustrative embodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the inspection section of the present invention with the cover member in the closed position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inspection section of the present invention with the cover member in the opened position.

Turning first to FIG. 1, a concrete-handling system is depicted, partially schematically. A concrete pump generally designated by the numeral 10, includes inlet means for the mixed concrete, shown as a hopper 12. The pump means 14 generally encompasses the cylinder and piston arrangement along with the various pneumatic or hydraulic controls. Concrete pump 14 is powered by drive means 16, the whole being mounted on a trailer chassis 18 adapted to be towed to the site by a truck or other vehicle. Between the outlet end 20 of the pump 14 and delivery conduit 22 is disposed the removable inspection section 24. Conduit 22 carries the concrete from the pump to the remote work site and can be fabricated of any suitable material which will withstand the internal pressure and the generally rugged use to which it will be subjected. Conduit 22 can be either rigid or flexible.

The removable inspection section 24 is a tubular pipe section 26 having releasable coupling means 28 at each end to connect the same to the outlet end 20 of the pump 14 and to the elongated conduit 22, respectively. Coupling means 28 are conventional and are preferably of the snap-type couplers shown in FIG. 4. A segmental section of the wall of tubular section 26 is removed to provide an opening 30 through which it can be determined whether the concrete is flowing properly through the system. Cover member 32 is made to fit snugly into opening 30 and is securely fixed to gasket means 34 which, in turn, is secured to outer covering 36. For ease of description the complete assembly consisting of cover member 32, gasket means 34, and outer covering 36, will be referred to hereinafter as cover assembly, generally designated by the numeral 38. While cover assembly 38 could be completely removable, being seating onto the inspection section 24 and then securely clamped thereto, it is preferred that it be hingedly mounted for ease in opening and closing and for the purpose of maintaining proper alignment. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 there is depicted preferred coupling means 40. It should be understood that while coupling means 40 is preferred any conventional easily releasable, positivelocking coupling means can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Coupling means 40 comprises lower member 42 and upper member 44. Opposite opening 30 are welded circumferentially spaced radially extending spacers 46 to which lower members 42 are affixed as by bolts 48. Lower members 42 are generally semicircular in shape and made of channel stock. One end of lower member 42 widens out into wide flange section portion 50, and at the other end into hinge portion 52. Upper member 44 is similar to lower member 42 and is affixed to upper spacer 54 which in turn is secured, as by bolting, to outer cover member 36. Upper member 44 is hingedly secured to lower member 42 by hinge pin 56. When cover assembly 38 is closed surfaces 58 and 60 of upper member 44 and lower member 42, respectively, mate at 62. Snap lock members 64 are pivotally attached to lower member 42 by means of extension member 66 and pivot pins 68 and 70, respectively. Accordingly, after the cover assembly 38 is closed snap lock member swings upwardly so that extension member 66 lies within channels 72 and 74 and portion 76 of snap lock member 64 bears against surface 78 of upper member 44, thereby locking snap lock member 64 in place.

When the cover assembly 38 is thereby closed and locked the inspection opening 30 is tightly sealed and no leakage can occur. As long as the concrete is flowing properly there is no need to open the section. Only when a stoppage occurs or when sampling is necessary must the unit be opened. If the conduit 22 is carrying the concrete to a remote location which is above ground level, and a stoppage occurs thereby necessitating opening the inspection section 24, determination of whether the stoppage is in the conduit 22 or the concrete pump 10 is easily made. With the inspection section 24 opened and the pump 14 stopped, a slow backflow of concrete indicates that the stoppage is not in the conduit 22. If the concrete level in the section is low, that indicates that the concrete pump is not operating properly. Further, with the section opened the pump may be operated for one cycle, for instance, for a visual determination of the output of the same. When the system is delivering concrete at ground level or below ground level similar visual observations can be made. The inspection section can also be used to provide ready access to the system for cleaning purposes without the need to disassemble the same.

While this invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, that is an improved concrete-handling system, it should be clearly understood that it is readily applicable to uses wherein other semifluid materials are handled. Thus, it is clear that the objects set forth at the outset have been successfully achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. In a concrete-handling system, means for establishing a flow of concrete, means communicating with said first-mentioned means for conveying such established flow to a point of utilization of said concrete, and means located between said first and said second-mentioned means permitting inspection of such flow and for determining abnormalities therein, said first-mentioned means comprising force feed means, said second-mentioned means comprising a conduit section having an inspection opening therein, a cover member for said opening, and positive-locking, easily releasable coupling means to secure said cover member over said opening, said cover member fitting snugly into said opening and having affixed thereto gasket means and outer covering means thereby forming cover assembly means, said coupling means comprising a lower member, said lower member being secured to said conduit section opposite said opening; an upper member, said upper member being secured to said cover assembly and hingedly attached to said lower member such that said cover assembly is pivoted upwardly and outwardly to an opened position and downwardly and inwardly to a closed position wherein said opening is sealed; and means cooperating with said upper and lower members to lock said coupling means in said closed position.

2. In a concrete-handling system, means for establishing a flow of concrete, means communicating with said first-mentioned means for conveying such established flow to a point of utilization of said concrete, and means located between said firstand said second-mentioned means permitting inspection of such flow and for determining abnormalities therein, said first-mentioned means comprising force feed means, said second-mentioned means comprising conduit means, and said third-mentioned means comprising a conduit section having an inspection opening therein, a cover member for said opening, and positive-locking, easily releasable coupling means to secure said cover member over said opening, said cover member fitting snugly into said opening and having affixed thereto gasket means and outer covering means thereby forming cover assembly means, said coupling means comprising a lower member, an upper member, and a snap lock member, said lower member being secured to said conduit section opposite said opening through lower spacer means, said upper member being secured to said cover assembly through upper spacer means and hingedly attached to said lower member such that said cover assembly is pivoted upwardly and outwardly to an opened position and downwardly and inwardly to a closed position wherein said opening is sealed, said snap lock member being pivotally secured to said lower member such that when said cover assembly is in said closed position, said snap lock member pivots upwardly and engages said upper member in locking relationship.

3. The system of claim 2, which includes two coupling means. 

1. In a concrete-handling system, means for establishing a flow of concrete, means communicating with said first-mentioned means for conveying such established flow to a point of utilization of said concrete, and means located between said first and said second-mentioned means permitting inspection of such flow and for determining abnormalities therein, said first-mentioned means comprising force feed means, said second-mentioned means comprising a conduit section having an inspection opening therein, a cover member for said opening, and positive-locking, easily releasable coupling means to secure said cover member over said opening, said cover member fitting snugly into said opening and having affixed thereto gasket means and outer covering means thereby forming cover assembly means, said coupling means comprising a lower member, said lower member being secured to said conduit section opposite said oPening; an upper member, said upper member being secured to said cover assembly and hingedly attached to said lower member such that said cover assembly is pivoted upwardly and outwardly to an opened position and downwardly and inwardly to a closed position wherein said opening is sealed; and means cooperating with said upper and lower members to lock said coupling means in said closed position.
 2. In a concrete-handling system, means for establishing a flow of concrete, means communicating with said first-mentioned means for conveying such established flow to a point of utilization of said concrete, and means located between said first- and said second-mentioned means permitting inspection of such flow and for determining abnormalities therein, said first-mentioned means comprising force feed means, said second-mentioned means comprising conduit means, and said third-mentioned means comprising a conduit section having an inspection opening therein, a cover member for said opening, and positive-locking, easily releasable coupling means to secure said cover member over said opening, said cover member fitting snugly into said opening and having affixed thereto gasket means and outer covering means thereby forming cover assembly means, said coupling means comprising a lower member, an upper member, and a snap lock member, said lower member being secured to said conduit section opposite said opening through lower spacer means, said upper member being secured to said cover assembly through upper spacer means and hingedly attached to said lower member such that said cover assembly is pivoted upwardly and outwardly to an opened position and downwardly and inwardly to a closed position wherein said opening is sealed, said snap lock member being pivotally secured to said lower member such that when said cover assembly is in said closed position, said snap lock member pivots upwardly and engages said upper member in locking relationship.
 3. The system of claim 2, which includes two coupling means. 